Three Zimbabwean activists, who were forcibly removed from a flight last month, have been denied bail just before a high-profile international summit in Zimbabwe.
The activists—Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi—are facing charges of disorderly conduct for allegedly protesting outside a court in June over the arrest of dozens of opposition supporters.
According to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the magistrate cited concerns that the activists might abscond, commit further offenses, and incite public unrest. The activists’ lawyer reported that they were held without access to legal representation and were tortured shortly after their arrest.
The three were on their way to Victoria Falls to attend a conference when they were removed from a domestic flight. During his first court appearance, Mr. Chere, a teachers’ union leader, appeared in bloodstained clothes and limped in pain.
Women’s rights advocate Ms. Kwekweza insists she was not even in the country when the alleged offense took place, with her lawyer revealing she was subjected to brutal treatment during interrogation, including having a boot shoved in her mouth.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gwenzi, a local councillor and human rights activist, faced threats to his family from his interrogators.
UN-appointed human rights experts have called for the immediate release of the activists and the dismissal of all charges. The arrests are part of a broader crackdown, with over 160 opposition politicians, activists, and union leaders detained since mid-June, according to human rights organizations.
As Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa prepares to take over as chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at a summit in Harare, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have urged SADC leaders to condemn Zimbabwe’s human rights abuses and demand the release of those arrested. The arrests and allegations of torture raise concerns about the region’s commitment to human rights under Mnangagwa’s leadership.
